


Lies with a Silver Lining

by brandyovereager



Category: Red Queen Series - Victoria Aveyard
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-09-06 12:14:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20291287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandyovereager/pseuds/brandyovereager
Summary: Nearly fifteen years ago, Mare Barrow--a red child--was found to have curious capabilities beyond those known silvers. To hide this discovery, she was given to House Titanos to be raised as a silver. When it comes time for Queenstrial, Mareena is sent as the house champion. The last thing Mareena wants is to leave her love behind and compete for the hand of a silver prince, but her red boy from the village has secrets of his own.MareCal AU





	1. The One Where I Give You Background for the Rest of the Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfic! I wrote it for myself a while ago and decided maybe I could share it with others? The beginning is probably the most cringey and then my writing improves--at least in my opinion. Enjoy! Let me know what you think!

Mareena couldn’t leave the Titanos manor fast enough. She stared earnestly out the window, watching with primed adrenaline until she saw the last rays of the setting sun disappear. Then she was off, sprinting out the door and through the vast gardens. This place drained the life from her. It was a prison. According to her “uncle” it was for her own protection, but the only thing those ancient grey walls seemed to keep out was joy.

You see, Mareena wasn’t like the rest of her Titanos “family”. They were all silver oblivions, loyal by blood and kingdom to the King of Norta. Mareena, she had her own abilities, but they were unlike that of any silver. Probably because her blood didn’t run silver, but red. And that was why she was so carefully hidden, the noble family couldn’t have her strange nature shaming them. They kept her far away from anyone else, telling the other high houses she was ill. They all knew her as the sickly girl no one had ever seen, and thought nothing more of her. She was not sickly though. She was not weak or fragile as they treated her. She could conduct lightning storms to rain down on all corners of Norta with nothing but her bare hands. She was stronger than those stuck up silvers could ever imagine. But this was the way it had to be. This had been her life since before she could remember.

Her only reprieve was after dusk, when she could sneak out to the red villages. That was the only place she didn’t have to hide. Walking around the village, she felt like she belonged. Not to mention that’s where she got to see him.

Her legs carried her without conscious thought right to the place where they’d meet. He was already there. Golden eyes locked on her speedily approaching form, and glowed a little brighter with every step she took. He stood to move closer to her.

“Mare” hummed a voice with such warmth it actually heated her insides.

“Cal” she replied, smiling through her words and throwing herself into his arms. He chuckled and pulled her closer as they sat down on the rock he’d waited for her on.

She’d met Cal for the first time on one of her masquerades in the village. He’d been sitting in a tavern waiting for his drink when she came up behind him and took it before he could notice. She was very small in stature and most tavern keeps wouldn’t serve to what they often called “a tiny girl”. She got her buzz by swiftly commandeering the drinks of customers far too inebriated to notice. However, this very curious looking man caught her.

“Thief” he’d said in a manner less accusatory and more shocked.

“Obviously” she snarked back. This man really must not be from around here, she thought. He’d peaked her interest as soon as she saw him, maybe that’s why she’d chosen him as her next mark, even though he was far more sober than she usually tried her luck on. He was dressed in normal red attire, but the clothes all fit him perfectly, as if they’d been purchased for him and not hand-me-downs from an older family member. They also had none of the typical wear and tear that comes from years of heavy labor. Come to think of it, neither did his hands. He must have been an abnormally wealthy red, maybe one whose master was uncharacteristically nice to his servants. There’s no way he worked outside, his skin lacked too much color for that.

Suddenly they realized they’d been staring silently at each other.

“How about I buy you a drink and then we’ll both have one?” the enigmatic man asked.

She couldn’t help her default sass setting from retorting “You say that to all the girls who try to steal your drink?”

It seemed to break the strange, uncomfortable dynamic between the two of them though, and they both laughed.

That spurred a friendly conversation, one of the few she’d ever had. She learned his name was Cal, he was a servant in a nearby silver household, and he was only nineteen. She couldn’t tell him the truth about her in return, but she gave him her usual cover story. Her name was Mare, she’d grown up a servant to the silver high house of Titanos, and she was seventeen. Her background may not have been honest, but she was truthful with Cal about everything else. They both felt freest in the red villages, and would sneak out from their silver prisons to come here. They both had family with great expectations for them. They both felt molded into a facade of a person they didn’t have any choice in.

After that night, they took every chance they got to slip away and see each other. They’d meet at the largest rock by the harbor and just talk. She’d tell him everything—well everything she could without him knowing her true identity. She’d vent all her frustrations about her uncle, the insane things he expected of her, how little he actually cared for her. She’d tell him how alone she felt in her own home, with only her cousin as her friend. In turn, he’d talk about his father, how he expected Cal to follow in his footsteps and be just like him. He’d tell her about how his mother wanted such a different life for him, and the compromise he tried to find.

Simple as that, they fell in love, but it was dangerous ground. She knew they could never become anything more than they were. Her life was not her own. Who she married was not something she got to choose. Not to mention, she’d kept who she truly was a secret from him, and how could he ever look at her again when she told him the truth?

Maybe that’s why she held him like he’d disappear, why she kissed him like it might be the last time. Because soon enough, it would be. Maybe she was just imagining things, but he seemed to do the same. Perhaps he could read it on her face, see the lie she’d been telling. Maybe, somehow, he knew the end was approaching too.

Like right now, as they sat in silence just looking out at the harbor, watching the waves roll and crash. His grip on her was firmer than ever. If she didn’t think about what was coming tomorrow, she could pretend this moment would never end. She could fantasize that they might run away together. They could move to another village far from here, get married, and she could avoid her impending fate. But fate is unavoidable, and she had to tell him the truth herself, or at least part of it, before he found out another way.

He seemed to feel the change in her demeanor, and turned to face her better.

“Something on your mind?” he posed.He knew the answer, but was patient ever the same.

“Cal, I,” she paused to gather her racing thoughts “I have to tell you something.”

His silence was answer enough.

“I haven’t been entirely honest with you.” His eyes seemed to flash at her admission.

“I told you that I was a servant living in the Titanos household—and while it is true that I live there—I’m not a servant.” His interest seemed to compound with every word she spoke. She was strung up tight waiting for the moment he screamed at her or ran away. “My real name is Mareena Titanos. I was raised by silvers, trained to use deadly abilities beyond…… I’m everything that terrifies reds, why you are mistreated and scared.” Somehow he was still listening, with that same rapt attention as before. She continued, “ I understand if you want nothing to do with me now, and I wish we could just stay the way we were, but I’m afraid everything is about to change.”

This was it, this was the part that would seal her fate. She would never see him again.

“Tomorrow,” she choked on the sentence, deciding to abandon it altogether. “I am the strongest daughter in my house, which means I am our Queenstrial champion.” His eyes burned her, but she kept going. “Tomorrow I have to showcase the strength of my abilities in front of the royal family, they will see how I compare to the other champions, and the best will be chosen as the next queen. This isn’t—it’s not what I want. I have no political ambitions, and honestly want nothing to do with silver politics. I don’t even think I’ll win, but even if I don’t I can’t see you any more. My uncle has had an arrangement with House Iral for quite some time now to have me wed one of the head, Salin’s, nephews. The only thing putting off our official betrothal was the outcome of Queenstrial, but once I am not chosen, it’s only a matter of time. I can’t—I can’t get out of this Cal. I wish so much that we could find a way to stay like this forever, but I’m stuck. I promise I won’t love him, whoever he may be. I don’t want to marry either of them, and they could never make me happy.”

“How can you know?” his interruption catches her off guard. “How can you be so sure you won’t love these men you’ve never met? You don’t even know them.”

“I’ve never fit into that world,” she explained, “ the pageantry, the politics, you know, ‘strength and power’. Somebody born into that, free to do whatever they wanted with the force of wealth and armies behind them, they could never understand me. I would never feel like I belonged. A palace will never be a home to me.”

“But what if they did understand?” he persisted, “What if people are not as they seem, not as you expect them to be? Would you still never love him because of the mask he wears?” Cal was clutching at Mareena like she was slipping from him. His hands repeatedly grabbed at her face as if he couldn’t get a grip on it.

“Why do you care, Cal?” her voice softened as she stroked her fingers through his hair, trying to soothe him. “Why do you want me to love another man?”

He brushed his lips to her cheek softly, then pulled back to look at her.

“I’m not exactly who you thought I was either.” He meets her eyes full-on as he says the words. They were baring everything for the other to see, no masks to hide behind anymore.

“Just like you, I am no servant. I don’t even live nearby. I am Tiberias Calore VII, Crown Prince of Norta. I live in the world of pageantry and politics you so despise. I have my every need cared for by a full staff of servants, but I do not have everything I want. The life I lead is not the one I would have picked for myself. Make no mistake, the mask I wear is everything you are against, but I understand you completely.”

Her heart was running faster than her mind could reason. He hadn’t ran when she told him she grew up in a silver home, because he had too. He felt trapped in the same world she did. He understood her more than she knew. Then—the part she was trying her hardest not to fixate on—if she won tomorrow, the man she spent her life with could actually be the one she loved. They could manipulate the silver politics they lived in to actually be happy. She hated the whole thing, but if it would let them be together…

“We could make this work.” She spoke softly, afraid to admit her hopes for fear they might be squashed. With all the truths revealed tonight, she shouldn’t be so fixated on this one thing, but all she cared about was the man she loved. He’d kept secrets, but so had she. He was entrenched in silver supremacy, but he didn’t ask for that. He didn’t choose his situation, just like her. He was still the same person she fell in love with, and she loved him so much.

“We could be more than just secret meetings and an empty future. I have no desire to be a queen, but to be your wife I would try my hardest. I am strong, and with the right motivation…”

“Please” he cut her off, cupping her face and curling her into him. “I don't want a fierce, warrior queen to bear me strong heirs. I want a partner who loves and supports me, someone to come home to when the day has been heavy. My fate is a heavy one, and I don’t think I could stand it alone.”

Smiling, she pressed her forehead to his before kissing him. In between kisses she whispered against his cheek, “I don’t want you to face anything alone.”

For the first time, they had hope between them. As foolish a game they may be playing, the possible outcome lit a fire in their hearts.


	2. The Opening Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The worlds of Lady Mareena Titanos and Tiberias Calore VII finally collide as the events of Queenstrial commence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the long wait (for any of you who actually read this). I had the majority of this written when I posted the first chapter and I knew how I wanted to end it but this one scene in the middle had me blocked for weeeeeksss!!! Hope it turned out worthy of all my time spent tinkering :).

Today was the day. Mareena awoke to a legion of servants in her quarters, all primed to make her as queenly as possible. She was washed, scrubbed, waxed, fed, and brushed till she could feel the anticipation in her nerve endings. A glance in the mirror revealed a woman Mareena had never seen before. Eventually she would don her perfectly fitted purple and silver suit, but for now she wore an elegant, wine-colored gown. Its fabric was thin and slick, the neckline dipped in the middle of her chest and the thick straps hung off her shoulders. Her lips were full and colored, eyes lined to be dramatic and powerful. She felt powerful, her ability making its way to her fingertips. She had to prove herself today, and she had a lot in her worth proving.

Another electric pulse went through her for an entirely different reason. She would see Cal today—in the daylight—with all their family around. One mask was coming off, and another on. He would see the other side of her, and vice versa. As terrifying as that was, hopefully the outcome of today would be worth it.

********************

Whitefire palace buzzed with the energy of Queenstrial. As House Titanos entered the main hall, Mareena could feel the many eyes watching her, analyzing her as a threat. She tried to seem both confident and non-threatening, as her trainer had taught her.

One house, however, did not glance her way. The magnetrons of House Samos stood near the center of the hall, only conversing with each other. They were not nervous, not scoping out potential threats. They were sure of their victory, then—the house to beat. A tall, silver-haired female roughly Mareena’s own age—the house champion no doubt—wore an intricate dress made entirely of metal. This girl would be Mareena’s biggest competitor, and she tried to keep her eyes on the magnetron while they waited.

Queenstrial was a massive event—only happening once every few decades—and the royal family was certainly milking it for all it was worth. There would be a ball before the competition—to scope out any threats, Mareena supposed—and then another after the results were announced—to throw it in the losers’ faces.

While each house champion was here to compete for the prince’s hand, it was still improper for them to attend the ball unescorted. Some of the younger competitors were on the arms of brothers or cousins, but most walked alongside unofficial husbands-to-be. Any high house young lady of Queenstrial age could not be spoken for before the royal family had chosen their next queen, but many families—like Mareena’s—sought out informal arrangements in the meantime.

The Samos champion, it would seem, did not have such an arrangement. She was accompanied by another magnetron with similar features—a relative. They had made no contingency match in case she lost, yet another testament to their confidence. Mareena scanned the family with approval. They may be arrogant, but she respected their boldness.

Her eyes passed over the young Lady Samos to find her looking back. The magnetron assessed her quickly before returning her gaze to her escort, but in those few seconds Mareena caught a glint in her eyes that only fanned her curiosity. This girl was definitely worth watching.

That was the moment Tian Iral—Mareena’s escort and potential fiancee—finished whatever dull discussion he was having with a young Lerolan and guided her to another corner of the ballroom. Tian’s arm clutched Mareena tightly to him and forced her to converse with ambitious politicians and snooty silvers alike. Just as her smile started to ache at the source of her jaw, the royal family decided to make their entrance. She was incredibly grateful for the interruption.

“His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Tiberias Calore VII.”

At the announcer’s call her beloved Cal strolled into the room, looking nothing like the red servant boy she’d seen last night. His very princely suit was black, with golden trim to match his flaming eyes. The real difference, though, was in his presence. He was commanding and regal as he surveyed the room. He was silver strength from his ornate monk straps to his flame-like crown.

“Their Majesties, King Tiberias Calore VI of Norta, Flame of the North, and Queen Coriane Jacos.”

The King and Queen entered then—Cal’s parents. Cal looked mostly like his father. They had the same coloring and general face shape, but on the King it looked much harsher, sharp from his position and age. Cal’s mother was softer, a gentle but regal brunette who hovered at her husband’s side in a way that told Mareena their marriage was more than just a political arrangement. Maybe there was hope for her and Cal after all.

Just then her eyes met his from the throne where he was now sitting. Golden irises briefly flitted to her arm entwined with the Iral son, then returned to hers again. She wasn’t any happier about the situation than he was. It was a reality check, a reminder of what would happen if she failed tomorrow.

She wouldn’t fail tomorrow, but she would solidify her place in the dark web of silver politics. Being queen would mean hundreds more gatherings just like this one, thousands more noblemen to greet, and no escape from the palace. Her victory may solve one problem, but it would invite many new ones.

********************

There were few things Mareena hated more than silver parties. One of those was her uncle—who also happened to be here—so when she saw the chance to escape she took it.

Tian went off to join a group of other young lords—and a skeevy middle-aged Macanthos—in a game of gentlemen’s cards. Upon his departure Mareena searched for Cal until they locked eyes, then lazily twisted her necklace on its chain—a signal they agreed upon last night. He dusted his lapel in response, and they turned to exit the ballroom—Cal through the east doors and Mareena through the west.

She found him in one of the lower level guest chambers just as planned. His dress coat was draped over the vanity chair with his crown on the table. His black curls fell askew around his face as he lay diagonally across the bedcovers. The princely stiffness from earlier was gone and he looked like her red boy. Something within her loosened in reflex, like unfastening the stays on a corset.

Leaving her shoes on the floor beside his coat, she climbed beside him on the bed. He made no acknowledgement of her presence besides a gentle brush of his hand on her face as she settled down next to him. With them spread out side-by-side Mareena felt comically small. He was broad and strong, giving off an intimidating appearance that many didn’t come near, but her red boy was soft at heart. She’d heard him speak of his mother on several occasions, and always with deep affection. He had compassion for all of his people, regardless of their blood. Her love was not a soulless general, he felt. From his body language tonight she guessed his current feelings weren’t all positive.

“Did they bring you charcoal stockings when you asked for obsidian?” She spoke the words against his cheek so he could feel her smirk. He turned his head to face her with a grin of his own—though his eyes betrayed its lack of sincerity.

“Do you dislike the shade of my stockings?”

“It was the only thing I could think of that might upset a crown prince so much.” His smile this time was far more genuine. “Don’t tell my aunt, but I don’t particularly care what color someone’s stockings are. You could be wearing magenta stockings and I’d have no idea.”

“They’re burgundy—and actually, for formal occasions men wear cropped trouser socks instead of full stockings, so you’re off on two accounts there.”

“Just as my aunt said, I am a true heathen. To think I’m actually being considered for the next queen.” It was meant to be lighthearted, in keeping with the jest of the conversation, but Cal’s face fell along with his head back onto the mattress. She’d hit too close to the mark it would seem. He brought his hand up to trace over the skin on her forearm. When he spoke again it was with a softness he didn’t have before.

“Yes, well from where I stand you’re more than considered, but I stand alone. My parents will ultimately make that decision—without me—purely from abilities shown in the competition arena. Feelings have no place in this, which is exceptionally frustrating given how many of them I have.”

What could Mareena say to that? Her own mind swam with the same fears. Tomorrow would decide whether they were doomed to a wretched future or granted the possibility for a better one, and it was out of their hands. Instead of a verbal response, Mareena curled tighter into Cal—effectively removing his face from her sight.

For the first time she had nothing to say in comfort to her love. For the first time their troubles were the same. This would be the first of many differences, it would seem, between the secret red lovers they used to be and the powerful silver nobles they are now. The Mare and Cal who met at night on that rock shared their feelings and offered comfort on similar experiences, but had never truly shared an experience.

Cal must have come to a similar conclusion because he removed himself from her hold and sat up with his back to her. There was a new tension between them that Mareena so desperately wanted to dissipate, but another part of her was irritated. Why would he pull away from her now? How could he drag her into his royal predicament and then hide away to sulk when realized how slim their chances were?

Cal rose from the bed and began to re-don his coat. He glanced at his crown on the vanity with a look of exhaustion. Mareena got up and grabbed the offending accessory. In a moment far more intense than she was prepared to acknowledge, she placed it back on his head. Meeting his eyes afterward she could see the weight of her actions on him. There was more than just love between them now. Things would never be simple again.

“I should leave first and then you can follow in a few minutes.” That was it. One last terse statement—a detached order. He left with not even a kiss. He was a prince now, and princes gave commands to those below them—not affection.

Mareena felt nothing as she slipped back into her shoes. Maybe Queenstrial wasn’t the hurdle they needed to jump, maybe it was one of many. Perhaps it was naive to think their relationship wouldn’t need adjusting. She knew how the red girl loved the red boy, but she had no idea how the silver noblewoman loved the silver prince. They were different people here, and they needed to find a new way to fit together.

Without the urgency to get to her love she was able to fully take in the palace halls on her way back to the ballroom. They were dark—which she deemed apropos. The stone they were crafted out of looking like solidified lava—she had heard of that before, it had a name she couldn’t recall. The lamps mounted every few feet were encrusted with rubies—to resemble flame, of course, in true silver hubris. The finishings around the ceiling and doors was in intricate patterns of gleaming gold. Honestly, the whole thing made her feel sick. She’d come here with a determination to try her best at this competition and win the position of queen—but for what? To live in a cold fortress of flame? To stitch golden thread into her fine garments? To weigh her head down with rubies?

You came here for love. A small voice in her head prodded. She’d been repressing it since the silver prince left her alone in that bedchamber. She’d been ignoring the part of her that felt. These feelings came with baggage. They came with silken red robes and sneering smiles. They came with a political game she’d always sworn never to play.

And that was it really. She’d spent so long despising the silver hierarchy. She hated their plots and blamed them all for what her life had become. Yet here she was, buying into their trap, seeking their approval. It made her stomach rebel even more. She was a traitor to herself. She was no better than her uncle, trying to beat out the others for her own ulterior motives. Her head sunk low to the obnoxious, golden-edged floor as she finally acknowledged her own dissonance and berated—

Those were shoes. Those were not her shoes. Those were dainty, chrome-plated shoes which—as she looked up—were attached to an even daintier, chrome-plated young woman.

Mareena was standing face-to-face with the Samos champion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next, some Mare and Evangeline interaction (I looooove Evangeline and wish we got to see more of a camaraderie between her and Mare in the series so you'll see that in this fic ;)) and then the official Queenstrial competition!


End file.
